Backseat Sandbar

I have a confession to make.  For years I would loudly proclaim my opinion that Lexington was vastly inferior to Louisville and that nobody in their right mind would ever want to live there.  Now, my love for Louisville hasn’t waned a bit (I still think it’s the greatest town in America), but Lexington is quickly making a case for being one of the most exciting towns in the Midwest.  With this year’s Boomslang Fest courtesy of WRFL, they are intensely upping the ante.

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Bradford Cox, now performing as Atlas Sound will be delighting you kids at Buster’s on Friday night as part of the Boomslang Fest. You all may recognize this guy as he is from Deerhunter. Heard of them, right? Good. Step two, check out Atlas Sound’s… sound. It is a bit shoegazy (is that a word) sounding, just the way I like it. So, by all means, go stand next to this guy while he plays and stare at your shoes while you are trapped by the noises he will make for you. Good times? No. Great times.

Check out his myspaz at http://www.myspace.com/bradfordcox. Go on, you can do it. The track Activation has a great ring to it.

BUSTER’S BOOMSLANG SHOWS
Our primary presenting venue. 899 Manchester St.
Doors/WRFL DJs at 7 pm. Live music starts at 8.
BUSTER’S BACKROOM STAGE

TOP ALBUM RELEASES: JUNE 2009

NICK’S TOP

1. The Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca
2. Sunset Rubdown: Dragonslayer
3. Street Sweeper Social Club: Street Sweeper Social Club
4. Deerhunter: Rainwater Cassette Exchange

CORY’S TOP

1. God Help the Girl – God Help the Girl
2. Little Boots: Hands
3. Deer Tick – Born on the Fourth of July
4. Cocorosie – Coconuts, Plenty of Junk Food
5. Major Lazer: Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do

HANK’S TOP

1. The Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca
2. Sunset Rubdown: Dragonslayer
3. Mos Def: The Ecstatic
4. Wilco: Wilco (The Album)
5. Sonic Youth: The Eternal
6. Tortoise: Beacons of Ancestorship

SCOTT’S TOP

1. The Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca
2. Mos Def: The Ecstatic
3. Here We Go Magic: Here We Go Magic (vinyl)
4. Deastro: Moondagger
5. Mount Eerie: Dawn

CHRIS’ TOP

1. The Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca
2. Deerhunter: Rainwater Cassette Exchange
3. Mos Def: The Ecstatic
4. Beck: One Foot in the Grave (vinyl reissue)

For a comprehensive list of June album releases, see below…

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I can’t believe my ears/eyes.  No Age, Deerhunter and Dan Deacon are touring together and playing a show in Kentucky at the Southgate House (Newport) on August 4, 2009.   Word is that the bands will be collaborating for a “seamless piece of music, with everyone helping out with the other’s songs.”  I cannot wait for this show. One of my favorite live acts + my top album of last year + a band I’ve wanted to see live, but keep missing the opportunity.  This show has the formula to be one of the best nights of all time [note: must check expectations].  There is only a week’s worth of dates and two of them are within driving distance of Louisville, KY.  I don’t think I can handle the back-to-back, but after the Southgate show, the bands head to Bloomington, IN (Rhinos) for a show the next night.  I couldn’t find any ticket info, but as soon as I do, I’ll let you know.  Comment below for carpool options.  I’ll probably have a seat or two.

No Age- Eraser [audio=http://www.rollingcotp.com/beats/02%20Eraser.mp3]

Deerhunter- Nothing Ever Happened [audio=http://www.nialler9.com/mp3/Deerhunter_-_Nothing_Ever_Happened.mp3]

Dan Deacon- Padding Ghost [audio=http://www.rubinrecommends.com/mp3s/DanDeacon-PaddingGhost.mp3]

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TOUR DATES:

08-01 Medford, NJ – Flying W Airport & Pool
08-02 Brooklyn, NY – Jelly Space 2009
08-03 Millvale, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre
08-04 Newport, KY – Southgate House
08-05 Bloomington, IN – Rhinos
08-06 Madison, WI – UW Madison Memorial Terrace
08-07 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom

Deerhunter is one of my favorite bands (Microcastle/Weird Era Cont… topped my best of 2008 list).  In May they will release Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP digitally and on CD and Vinyl in June.  They are sharing one of the track with us, so check it out below. (via Stereogum)

Deerhunter- Rainwater Cassette Exchange [audio=http://cdn.stereogum.com/mp3/Deerhunter%20-%20Rainwater%20Cassette%20Exchange.mp3]

Tracklist:
1 “Rainwater Cassette Exchange”
2 “Disappearing Ink”
3 “Famous Last Words”
4 “Game of Diamonds”
5 “Circulation”

Gig Posters: The Art of Contemporary Music Promotion, a Concert Poster art show at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, opens with this Friday’s Gallery Hop and goes on until May 16th.  The exhibit is free if you go during the first Gallery Hop.

Many of the artists’ works are local or are somehow connected to the Louisville music scene ad have done posters for the community.  One of my personal favorites, Ron Jansin (of MadPixel – above), will be presenting his work and will be available to meet and chat, and will also be screen printing one-of-a-kind posters for the opening night.  Other artists include Alana Twelmeyer, Anna Martine Nilsen, Bangout, Bill Green, Christian Peters, Cricket Press, Brian Turner, Sarah Turner, Dan McCarthy, David Brooks, Gary Houston, Ian Gordon, Jake Early, Jason Munn, Julie Hill, Kraken, Kristen Thiele, Lars Privat, Michael Fluckigeiger, Miles Tsang, Patrick Jones, Remi, Rhys Cooper, Rokitmul Design Studios, Ron Lilberti, Sean Higgins, Stephano Manzi, Steve Mockensturm, The Farm Barn, Tiny Little Horses and some of the gig posters include Calexico, Moonstompers, Caven, Cojones, Skywise, Zippo, Stonebride, Earlimart, Fleet Foxes, Manjongg, Mates of State, Mission of Burma, Rosebuds, Dagobah, Built To Spill, Cat Power, Bonnie Prince Billy, Death Cab for Cutie, Doves, My Morning Jacket, Gillian Welch, Neko Case, Old, Crow Medicine Show, Patty Smith, Ringo Starr, Dashboard Confessional, The Aquabats, The Elected, Cake, Neil Young, The Mother Hips, Beck, Deerhunter, Modest Mouse, Forget Cassettes, Nire, Jimmy Eat World, Esquizitos, Thursday, Arcade Fire, Super chunk, Feist, GirlTalk, GWAR, Kings of Leon, Murder By Death, Radiohead, The Black Keys, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Breeders, British Sea Power, Sterolab, Black Diamond Heavies, Mars Volta, Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Tom Waits, Yonder Mountain String Band, Flaming Lips and Butthole Surfers.

If you’re uncertain just how incredible show posters can be, I strongly advise you to check out GigPosters.com (many of the links above are directly into those artist’s GigPosters portfolio)

In this week’s Velocity, editor, David Daley, provided an insightful comment on “unlistenable” albums appearing on the year-end music lists of hipsters. His comment, in list form, is provided below. Daley clearly did his homework and couldn’t be more right about the first seven albums on his list (8/9 are debatable). His point is made with a single album: Panda Bear’s “Person Pitch.” If you can make it all the way through, listen to Panda Bear’s song “Bros” (one of the most hyped tracks on the album). I kept looking for the genius everyone else saw, but it was no where to be found. “Person Pitch” topped Pitchfork’s list, a move I’m still baffled by (see here for another Pitchfork foul). Interestingly, Panda Bear is Noah Lennox’s side project, but he is also a member of Animal Collective, whose album “Strawberry Jam” was #2 on Daley’s list.

While I appreciate Daley’s list, and largely agree with and appreciate his analysis, I have to take issue with the inclusion of LCD Soundsystem’s “Sound of Silver.” (Cory would probably add Lekman, #8, to the objections…sample). Not only is “Sound of Silver” listenable, it made both of our Top Ten lists (scout’s honor). Their amazing show at Louisville’s Waterfront Park may have influenced our decisions, but this album deserves the hype. A few taste tests:

LCD Soundsystem- Someone Great
LCD Soundsystem- All My Friends
LCD Soundsystem- New York I Love You

I’m not saying you are crazy if “Sound of Silver” is not on your Top Ten list, only that to put it in the same category as Panda Bear, Les Savy Fev, and Animal Collective (this year), is not fair to LCD Soundsystem or to those who appreciate their new album.

Nit-picking on one album that appears at the bottom of an otherwise accurate list probably doesn’t appear cool, but it was on my best-of list and I had to defend it.

10 Unlistenable Albums Lying Hipsters Put on Year-End Lists to Appear Cool

1. Panda Bear, “Person Pitch”

2. Animal Collective, “Strawberry Jam”

3. Deerhunter, “Cryptograms”

4. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, “Some Loud Thunder”

5. Mark Ronson, “Version”

6. Devendra Banhart, “Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon”

7. Les Savy Fav, “Let’s Stay Friends”

8. Jens Lekman, “Night Falls Over Kortedala”

9. Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew, “Spirit If …”

10. LCD Soundsystem, “Sound of Silver”

– David Daley

See also-

10 Haikus About 2007′s Most Overhyped Albums

Similar list re: 2006-

Top 10 Unlistenable Indie Crap of 2006

CORY: To make the same point, I posted LCD Soundsystem’s song “Someone Great” as 2007′s best song of the year (which I stand firmly behind), and “Sound of Silver” as the fourth best album of the year. When Arcade Fire/LCD Soundsystem came to town, I thought it was a LCD Soundsystem show with Arcade Fire opening. I can only guess that David was joking when he made this list & I’ll bite my tongue on the rest of it.

Other, more suitable albums for the list:

Dan Deacon- Spiderman of the Rings (Not for everyone, but we will be at his 1/26 show in Chicago. More entertaining live than “listenable”).

Kanye West- Graduation (Appreciate his effort, and sometimes catchy, but WAY OVER-HYPED).

Rilo Kiley- Under the Blacklight (listen to The Moneymaker if you dare)